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FALLS LAWYER TEAMS WITH THOMAS

By David Staba

Niagara Falls attorney Bill Berard and the Buffalo Bills' all-time leading rusher originally teamed up last year to teach college athletes how to avoid the kind of trouble that increasingly crowds the nation's sports pages and broadcasts.

But as Thurman Thomas Enterprises developed a curriculum covering topics like DWI laws and paternity issues, a wider need soon became obvious.

"What we found out is that the athletes were saying, 'Yeah, we need to know about these legal issues, but how can you help us now and after our sports careers?'" Berard said.

Berard, the president of Thurman Thomas Enterprises, and the retired running back conducted pilot training programs starting last November at Niagara University, the University at Buffalo and the University of South Florida in Tampa, steadily adding components ranging from basic career skills to performance-anxiety relief.

"The curriculum has totally evolved from what we were going to do," Berard said. "At first, it was 100 percent legally based. Now that number is somewhere around 25 percent."

Berard, a graduate of Niagara Catholic High School, Niagara University and UB's law school, said Thurman Thomas Enterprises is a natural outgrowth of his own legal career and the growing business of sports, now the 11th-largest industry in the United States.

"About a year ago, I decided I wanted to work more with athletes," said Berard, who already represented several minor-league hockey players and is one of three certified player consultants for the National Lacrosse League. "I thought, 'There are so many athletes making mistakes on and off the field -- there has to be a curriculum that could be developed to help them both perform better and avoid problems.'"

For the past six years, Berard has conducted legal liability seminars for high schools and colleges throughout the country for McGrath Systems of San Francisco. Those sessions covered topics like risk management and sexual harassment and were aimed at coaches and other athletic department members.

To make an impact on the athletes themselves, Berard said he required more than expertise.

"I realized I needed someone to help me bridge the gap with athletes, as well as help get into the schools," Berard said. "So I approached Thurman Thomas last August."

Thomas' name helped the company earn national publicity before February's Super Bowl, when he made the rounds of national and regional radio talk shows in New Orleans for Hype Week.

During 12 seasons with Buffalo and one in Miami, Thomas stayed out of the legal binds that dogged some of his contemporaries. But early in his career, clashes with the media and fans hurt his off-field image. Bickering in the locker room festered as the Bills became a National Football League powerhouse, finally spilling over into the national press before Super Bowl XXVI, when Thomas and Jim Kelly publicly disputed who ranked as the team's "Michael Jordan." Thomas also took a rap for losing his helmet immediately before Buffalo's 37-24 loss to Washington, though an NFL Films clip later showed a teammate inadvertently carrying it away.

Over the years, though, he developed into an unquestioned leader among the Bills and something of a media spokesman for the players. By the time he signed a one-day contract so that he could retire in the city where he spent most of his career, Thomas had become one of football's elder statesmen.

"He said there were some things he would have done differently if he'd had the chance," Berard said. "He had to learn all those lessons on his own."

As Thurman Thomas Enterprises' curriculum expanded, so did its roster.

A registered nurse conducts performance-anxiety exercises, aimed at helping athletes block out pressure, fans and other distractions to better focus their talents.

Other components include leadership techniques and career skills, such as making business contacts, preparing for job interviews and networking with teammates and other people athletes meet during their playing careers.

In all, the company employs nine trainers.

Berard said Thomas didn't just lend his name to the business.

"He's brought the insight that only a former athlete can bring," Berard said. "It's that insight that brought everything together. We all have our areas of expertise, but only he had the experience of a former athlete."

Berard said the sessions are designed more for students whose athletic careers end in college than the minuscule percentage that go on to play professionally. Thurman Thomas Enterprises is approaching several college conferences this spring, with a goal of launching full-scale training sessions during the fall semester.

"We're still fine-tuning the curriculum," Berard said. "We're trying to do everything right every step of the way."


David Staba is the sports editor of the Niagara Falls Reporter and the editor of the BuffaloPOST. He welcomes email at editor@buffalopost.com.

Niagara Falls Reporter www.niagarafallsreporter.com April 16 2002